


Know Thy Enemy

by TheBestTeacup



Category: The 100
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 05:52:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5956054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBestTeacup/pseuds/TheBestTeacup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Marcus fears the worst, and one time he doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am just really intrigued by Marcus' psyche, and decided to look at it a little deeper. First up: why he is so freaked out by needles.

Anthony Kane was a giant man in the eyes of his son. He worked for the guard and stood at a strapping 6’2. He was smart, kind, and well loved by the guards that he held command over, and well respected by those who held rank over him. He loved and doted on his wife and no matter how tired he was after a long shift he always made time to play with Marcus and help him with his homework. Yes, Anthony was an amazing man, which made his death all the much harder on his family.

 

Marcus was 7 when his father went to medical for a small procedure to fix a bad shoulder only to never return. He suffered a stroke when a medical tech messed up administering the IV and caused an air embolism. To his young son it wasn’t the air that killed his father, or a half trained newbie in the medical ward, but a needle. A needle took down a great man, and left a son without a father, and a wife so distracted by grief that she fully invested herself in the ships’ earth based religion.

 

Three years later, as he stood beside his mother in line to receive his 10-year booster shots, Marcus couldn’t shake the thought of his father’s death from his mind. He was about to get pricked with a needle, not once but four times, and the more he thought on it the more he began to tremble. He knew and understood more on what actually killed his dad now that he was older, but even with the logic instilled in his brain, he couldn’t shake the voice that was whispering at him that he was going to die.

 

Ahead of him in line he could see his two friends Thelonious and Jake rough housing and carrying on, and quickly turned his head when they tried to wave him over. It would be humiliating if they saw how shaken he was over a few little needles. He glanced over at his mother who stood talking with a member of her congregation about their new grandbaby, something about a blessing ceremony. With her back turned he could easily slip out and sneak to the training arena to watch the guards run through drills. Sergeant Kent wouldn’t mind, he was always welcoming his old buddy’s son into the arena and even let him practice some of the drills. Marcus would much rather be there than potentially facing death.

 

With one eye on his mother he slowly began to step back, and had gotten a few paces when he ran into someone behind him.

 

“Oomph. “

 

Marcus turned sharply to find he had bumped into Abby Walters sending her and the book she must have had her nose buried in to the floor.

 

“I’m sorry Abby,” he said quickly bending to help her up and retrieve her book.

 

She smiled sweetly at him, pushing hair that had fallen loose from her braid behind her ear. “It’s okay, I shouldn’t be walking and reading, but my dad just loaned me this book on anatomy, and I couldn’t resist. “

 

Marcus chuckled to himself as he watched her straighten up her clothes. He was well aware of Abby’s reading habits given that she was rarely seen without some form of science or medical book in her hands. Jake and Thelonious teased her about it sometimes, but Marcus could never bring himself to join them. He supposed it was because he figured doctoring was as much in her blood as military was in his given that her father was the head doctor on the ark. Sometimes you just can’t help what you are born into.

 

Abby smiled at him gently and looked over her shoulder towards the door, “Are you leaving? Did you already get your vaccines? “

 

Coughing, Marcus was about to lie and say he did, when his mother called out for him to get back in line causing him to blush and look away ashamed.

 

He began to edge away from Abby so she wouldn’t see his fear of the shots start to take over again when she caught his hand in hers. “Can I wait with you? I’m a little nervous about mine, so it would be nice to have a friend to take my mind off it. “

 

Staring at her dumbly all he could do was nod before he turned and got back in his spot with her standing assuredly next to him. For a few moments they were quiet, before she spoke up again.

 

“I really hate vaccines. I mean, I know needles are harmless, but I just don’t like the pinch you know? “

 

Marcus shrugged and gripped his hands in tighter fists as he watched Jake enter the exam room. Only Thelonious and the Miller boy were before him, and he was afraid if he tried to talk he would throw up. Abby continued to blabber on, as if she didn’t realize his discomfort.

 

“It’s just something you have to do, get vaccines I mean. I read about the diseases they are preventing with these shots, and they sound really painful. Not only that they could kill you. I figure that is my motivation to go through with it, because yeah it will hurt me for a few seconds, but it would hurt my parents a lot more if they had to watch me suffer and die. “

 

Marcus shot a glance to his mom who was still gushing about the new ark baby, and guilt coursed through him. He was about to run away from something important, something that was preventing him from dying. What would happen if he left his mom without anyone to love? All because of his fear for needles? He couldn’t stomach the thought.

 

“Anyway,” Abby was saying, “I was hoping maybe we could go in together? I could really use a friend’s support to get through it. “

 

Marcus returned his gaze to hers and for a second was about to deny her. After all, he would be humiliated if he had a panic attack with one of his classmates in the room. However, when he looked into her warm eyes all he could do was nod.

 

That was how he found himself in the exam room five minutes later with his mom stroking his hair, and Abby chatting away as the doctor administered the four vaccines. If Abby noticed his sweating and trembling she didn’t say anything, she just continued to talk in that unending way of hers, taking his mind (mostly) off the sharp pricks in his arm.

 

It wasn’t until later that night that he realized that when Abby received her shots she barely blanched at them. And it wasn’t until several years later that he understood she wasn’t scared; she just knew exactly what he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby loses someone important, and Marcus fears for her.

Very rarely in the past two years did Marcus find himself seated at the tables behind his mom’s worship area without Abby beside him. Both were extremely goal oriented, and with career placement exams coming up they had been even more driven to study than ever before. Both were shoe-in’s for their chosen career paths, but neither wanted to settle for second best. Abby was determined to follow in her father’s footsteps, and Marcus was hoping to live up to his father’s good name.

 

With those goals in mind the two met every day in the small alcove near the tree his mother loved so much, and read over textbooks and quizzed each other constantly. It was one of the few places on the ship where they could do so in peace, and it had become almost a second set of quarters for them. So for Marcus to find himself the only one studying there made him nervous, and with a quick wave to his mom he went in search of Abby.

 

He made a quick jot to the cafeteria, but found only a few elderly citizens playing chess. He came up empty handed in the library too, and when he stopped by engineering where Abby’s boyfriend was apprenticing Jake shrugged and said he hadn’t seen her all day. His last hope was the medical ward, but when he entered he was immediately hit with an eerie silence that had his blood running cold. Everyone in the facility seemed to be moving in a shocked slow motion, and he noticed a few techs and doctors were wiping at their eyes. What started as mild curiosity over his friend’s absence turned into a blind panic, as he turned and ran for her quarters.

 

Even though he wasn’t 100% sure what was happening he had a fairly good idea, and his suspicions were confirmed when Mrs. Franklin opened the door at his knock. The usually put together woman with the kind smile was extremely pale, with red-rimmed eyes and hair going every which way. At the sight of her daughter’s best friend she timidly tried to smile but failed and stepped back instead to let him enter.

“I’m so glad you are here Marcus. Abby is in her quarters, and won’t respond to anything I say. Maybe she will feel better if she sees you.”

 

Marcus knew from experience that his friend was facing a pain that could not be comforted, but offered Mrs. Franklin a reassuring smile before heading towards Abby’s sleeping quarters.

 

As he entered the dim lighted room, deftly stepping around piles of medical texts, Marcus almost didn’t recognize his friend as she lay on her cot staring out the small window at earth. Her hair, which was usually in a bun or braid was loose and as unkempt as her mothers, as if her hands had been running through it over and over. Her skin, a usual healthy tan despite their living on a space station was pale, and her whole body seemed to be trembling from exhaustion or sadness or both.

 

The most alarming thing however, was how dead her eyes looked as she stared out at the planet that used to be their people’s home.

 

Marcus quietly sat beside her, and took her hand, his own eyes falling on the planet that seemed so close, and yet so far away. He didn’t speak, knowing Abby well enough to know she couldn’t be pushed. She would talk when she was ready.

 

Sure enough, after about 30 minutes of them watching earth rotate by, Abby turned to face him, her eyes so tired and dead it was hard for him to look at.

 

“It was a heart attack,” she whispered her voice tired from what he assumed was endless crying, “one minute he was making his rounds, and the next he was dead. He didn’t stand a chance.”

 

She said it all so mechanically that for a moment Marcus thought she was referring to a case study from a book, and not her own father. If it weren’t for the raw pain wafting off of her he could almost deny that Dr. Franklin was dead.

Instead he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, trying to fight his own tears back. He would cry for the great man they had just lost later. Right now he needed to focus on his friend and her pain.

 

“Abby, you know I know how you are feeling, so I am not going to sit here and offer platitudes. It wouldn’t help. What I will say is I will sit here with you for however long you need me, and I will stand beside you when they send him off, and I will offer you my shoulder to cry on when you need to cry, and an ear to listen when you need to talk. Whatever you need I am here.”

 

She didn’t speak for a minute, before pulling him to lie beside her, “Watch the world with me?”

 

“Of course.”

 

He lay with her for two hours watching what was North America float by, stroking her hair and saying nothing. He stayed until Jake came and relieved him, with a quiet thanks and returned the next morning to walk with her to the air lock chamber to say goodbye to a man that had been like a father to him.

 

He stood there beside Abby, with Jake on the other side, each gripping one of her hands in an act of support. He only let go when the body was released and Mrs. Franklin began to collapse so that he could catch her. Jake did the same with Abby behind him, and both boys helped the women to their quarters. Shortly after Jake had to return to his apprenticeship, but Marcus stayed making sure Mrs. Franklin and her daughter rested, and were left alone.

 

It was as he was sitting next to Abby’s cot on the floor, reading medical terms to her as she continued to stare off into space that she whispered for him to stop. “I will never be a doctor. What’s the point if he isn’t here to see it?”

 

Not having an answer Marcus closed the book and took her hand, stroking her hair until she fell to sleep before returning to his own quarters. Then and only then did he let the fear her statement caused wash over him. To him Abby not being a doctor was like the gravity on the Ark not working, it just couldn’t happen. This was the girl who had been reading medical texts since she learned how to read. The girl who corrected their science instructors and made him quiz her until all hours of the night. She was born to be a doctor, and the fact that she was giving it up terrified Marcus. He feared his beloved friend was gone for good.

 

He could barely focus the next few days, and every time he went to see Abby she was asleep or with Jake. The more time passed the more he feared for her mental state, and could only hope that Jake was offering her the support she would so desperately need.

 

It wasn’t until a week after Dr. Franklin’s death that she suddenly reappeared at their study table, her long hair pulled back in a braid and her usual determined look on her face. “I am way behind on my studying Marcus, so I need your help to catch up.”

 

That was all she said before picking up a book and thrusting it at him so he would quiz her. Marcus was so relieved to see she wasn’t giving up, that he didn’t ask what changed her mind. All that mattered was that his Abby was back.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus faces up to his actions.

Walking into the makeshift medical clinic of the newly named Camp Jaha, Marcus bit back the fear that was starting to eat away at him. He had faced a lot in his life, especially in the past few months, but nothing could prepare him for the hate he was about to see on Abby Griffin’s face. Just when he felt like he was getting her back too. Not that he ever had _her,_ she would kill him if she knew he was thinking of her as an object. But he had her friendship once and lost it, and that had been painful the first time around. To lose it again so quickly was going to be a hard thing to swallow.

 

No matter what happened when he entered the tent though he was going to offer his olive branch. It was the least he could after years of anger and resentment that tore two inseparable people apart.

 

To this day he still couldn’t pin point where they went wrong exactly.

 

He figures it just started as two people growing apart as is want to happen. He was moving up in the military, she in the medical field. She got married, had Clarke, and was made head doctor. He became commander and grew more and more serious as time went on until he could barely recognize the man he had grown into. And through all the change they grew apart until all that was between them were occasional strained smiles as they passed in the halls of the Ark.

 

It wasn’t until they were both elected councilors that their feud truly began and the once friends became enemies. They fought over every issue until they could barely stand the sight of one another. There were times when their sparring almost seemed friendly, but more often than not it was just two stubborn people railing at each other. Things only got worse when Abby made the mistake of trusting Jaha, and Marcus was forced to float Jake and arrest Clarke. Then the battles turned into an all out war.

 

At times Marcus mourned the days of studying and goofing off with his friend, only to become so aggravated by the woman she had become that he had wished they had never known each other to begin with. The hope he might have had for their friendship died the day Jake did, and then suddenly within the past few weeks it rekindled again.

The 100 being sent to earth, the culling, the death of his mother, Sydney’s mutiny, and all the rest slowly pulled him and Abby back together as if by some invisible force. Never had he been more relieved to find her alive in the service bay, instead of dead on the ground with those that escaped on the Exodus. Nor would he ever forget the look of panic on her face when he tried to sacrifice himself, or the feel of her hand in his as he stepped away.

 

Being on the ground made things tense between them again, especially when she realized Clarke was missing, but he still held onto the hope that they would be okay. Until today.

 

She broke the law, and as much as he hated it, she had to be punished. Major Byrne was right about that much. Everyone was on edge as they tried to adjust to life on the ground, and if he didn’t show them that actions had consequences he would slowly lose control.

 

Still even the logic behind punishing Abby didn’t make it easier, especially as she stood so defiantly during her lashing while he was forced to say “Again” over and over until all 10 lashes were complete. Each time he said the word it stuck in his throat longer and longer until it was no more than a ragged whisper. At last it was over and he closed his eyes to the image of Abby barely conscious as she tried her hardest to remain standing. He couldn’t show weakness, even though he longed to rush past Jackson and Sinclair and unhook her himself. No matter how much his arms ached to cradle her close and his lips yearned to beg for forgiveness. He had to stay solid in front of the camp with the face of a just chancellor. The law was broken and the punishment issued and everyone would know that would remain the order of things.

 

Now he had to face her hate, and scorn. He would have to feel once again all hope of their friendship ever returning die. He would rather face a thousand needles than have to look Abby in the eye, but he pushed through his fear, steeled himself and entered the tent. And almost ran out again at the sight before him.

She was in so much pain. He tried not to throw up as he took in her hunched stance as she sat on the exam table, her hands digging into the sides, her whole body trembling as Jackson cleaned her wounds. He did this to her. He hurt her. Despite promising her in that heat filled hell of a loading dock that she would never be hurt again, he did it anyway. His fear of her scorn escalated 100% as he took her in.

 

It was then that he was noticed, and he tried not to wince at Jackson’s open stare of loathing. Instead he focused on some speck of wall behind the younger man’s shoulder until he was dismissed by Abby and they were alone. As they stood there awkwardly for a moment he braced himself for the onslaught of hateful words he was about to receive, and was therefore shocked when she asked him if it worked.

 

He flashed her a questioning look, surprised by her calm tone and she arched an eyebrow at him, “Is the rest of the camp back in line?”

Marcus nodded, still confused by her calmness, and decided to power through with his explanation, “This isn’t something I considered lightly…”

 

“You don’t have to justify yourself” she broke in, interrupting him in typical Abby fashion, “I broke the rules and I accept the consequences. “

 

Marcus studied her face, trying to wrap his head around the conversation as it took a totally separate road than what he was expecting. As she went on to talk about how she would continue to do what it took to find Clarke, despite the punishment, he couldn’t help but admire this woman’s strength once more. It wasn’t until she stood and revealed her torn up back that he remembered his main reason for approaching her.

 

“I’m leading a mission to bring them back.”  He all but blurted out his intent, and continued on with his plan of seeking peace before she could interrupt him, hoping that she would not only accept it, but the other request he was going to make.

 

As they spoke of potential traps and the hope for chances to survive he was suddenly overcome with the need to tell her the full truth. The truth that while he was doing this for their people, she was his driving force behind his actions.

 

“I did hear you, you know.” He stared into her eyes pleadingly as he said it, praying she would see how sorry he was for what she had just endured.

 

He knew she understood and forgave him as soon as she stated she would go with him, and he let out a small-relieved laugh before quickly sobering up. The hardest part of this was having to convince her to stay behind.

 

They argued back and forth, and Marcus felt a fear in the back of his mind that he would push her too far and this tentative conversation would lead to the final nail in the coffin of their friendship. However, when he placed the Chancellor pin on the table between them, and she accepted his offering he was able to push the fear back completely.

 

The fear stayed dormant until he was walking out of camp an hour later, following behind his guards and the grounder prisoner and happened to glance Abby as she walked out of medical. They shared nods of encouragement, before he turned his back on the camp and headed on what could be a suicide mission. It wasn’t the fear of death that consumed him in that moment, but the fear that he would never see her again. Not the woman he thought was his friend, but the woman he just now realized he loved.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus faces death.

Dust. Pain. Distant screams.

 

That was all Marcus could make out when he first came to after an explosion had rocked him off his feet. One minute he was checking on Clarke and Lexa and the next he was on his back and unable to process anything but the dust choking him, the pain coursing through his body, and the far off screams of people in anguish.

 

It took him a few minutes to gather his senses enough to fully grasp the situation. Some sort of bomb or missile had hit Tondc, and he had somehow managed to survive despite being trapped under the rubble of the old metro station. As a woman screamed from what seemed like the other end of the collapsed tunnel his heart stopped. _Clarke._ What if she was trapped too? Or worse, what if she was dead? He closed his eyes at the thought of how Abby would react if her daughter was suddenly gone.

 

It was too terrible to imagine.

 

As the woman screamed again Marcus was driven to action and quickly began to try and free himself. After a few minutes of squirming that only ended in more pain, he fell back exhausted. He almost passed out again when his eyes caught on a piece of metal pole sticking out not too far above his head.

 

Straining as much as possible he reached up and pulled the pole down, and released it so that it banged against the metal beam above it. He needed someone to find him so he could direct them to the woman. If it was Clarke maybe she could be rescued, and he could spare Abby the pain of losing another loved one. Surely despite the confusion above someone would have to hear the pipe that he was now continuously banging.

 

And someone did.

 

As if she were an angel descending from heaven, Abby suddenly appeared before him her voice filled with warm relief as she called his name. He could barely believe his eyes as he continued to pull on the metal, refusing to believe that she was here. It wasn’t until she had gripped his hand and forced him to release the pole that all of his fear disappeared. She was here, his wonderful Abby, as she always was in his most anguished times. She was here, assuring him it would be okay, and for the moment he allowed himself to believe her. After a second of just admiring the face of the woman he loved, another pain shot through his leg bringing him back to reality.

 

One quick mention of the trapped limb and Abby was in full doctor mode, turning to assess his leg and the beam on top of it. After a few questions about his ability to move toes she looked back up at him smiling. “You’re lucky” she exclaimed as if it would make the situation any less dire, and her unrelenting hope had him smiling. That is until she tried to lift the beam with no success reminding him of how very unlucky he was in that moment.

 

As the woman down the tunnel screamed out yet again Marcus quickly forgot about his troubles and looked in the direction of the noise, “That could be Clarke.” He expected her to scurry into the rubble to search for her daughter, so when she claimed she wasn’t leaving him his headshot back around to look at her.

 

Abby ignored his probing stare and continued to try to free his leg, despite the continued cries from the tunnel. It didn’t make sense, this woman was an amazing mother, and she would never choose another person over her daughter. He had to be missing something because the only alternative was if Abby somehow knew that woman was definitely not her daughter and if that was the case that would mean-

 

No, that was not an option he would even consider. Clarke was alive and there was another reason Abby wasn’t searching for her. He would figure it out, but first he needed to focus on freeing himself so he could be of some help.

After a few minutes of trying to pull the beam up Abby gave a defeated sigh and crawled away, only to return seconds later with a long pipe. She began to push and prod it between his leg and the beam in hopes that the leverage would be of help. Marcus watched on, trying to hold back his gasps of pain as she went about her work, and let out a relieved sigh when he finally felt the weight being lifted. He was just about the crawl back when she yelled at him not to move and the beam slammed back down.

 

“Your femoral artery is lacerated. The weight of the beam is the only thing keeping you alive. “

 

Marcus laughed to himself, cursing his so called luck, and made some joke about a bandage even though he didn’t really process the words pouring from his mouth.

 

The tunnel groaned around them as it continued to settle from the explosion and the direness of the situation washed over Marcus once more. “Abby,” his whispered causing her too look up at him, “just go find your daughter.” He knew he was not going to make it this time, but in the back of his head there had to be hope for Clarke. He had to know Abby wouldn’t be alone.

 

The frustrating woman ignored him though and started talking about ways to help _him_ instead causing Marcus to groan in frustration, “Go find Clarke” he begged again. Abby stared at him equally frustrated before stating bluntly that Clarke wasn’t there. Somehow she and Lexa were fine.

 

Before Marcus could process what that meant the tunnel shuddered again, unleashing more rubble on top of them and all Marcus saw before he blacked out was Abby falling backwards.

 

Sometime later he found himself floating in and out of consciousness, his whole body wracked with pain. On top of that he was freezing, and an annoying light kept flashing in his face. He considers for a moment that he had just died and woken up in hell when he hears Abby’s voice begging him to wake up. He must still be alive then because there is no way he’s in heaven, and that’s the only place besides earth she would be. Her voice broke through his thoughts yet again begging him to open his eyes, as her blasted flashlight flickered yet again in his face.

 

“I’m so cold.”

 

He hoped she would leave him be after that, but her whispered “I’m right here,” brought him fully back and his mind shot to a time on the Ark when he held her hand and stared at earth and promised her the same thing. He could hear the same fear in her voice that he had felt as he watched her grieve her father and knew he had to reassure her, but all he could manage was a faint “I’m okay.”

 

“I’m sorry Marcus. I’m so sorry.”

 

Her apology had him focusing on her even more, and he could just make out the anguish on her face. He tried to reassure her but she cut him off, and then the whole story spilled out. Clarke knew. She and Lexa both knew the missile was coming and they just left without bothering to warn anyone else. And of course Abby, being the mom she was, was going to shoulder the responsibility.

 

For a moment Marcus allowed himself to be angry at the young leader, but then sadness took anger’s place. He couldn’t blame Clarke, she did what she had too. Or at least what she thought she had too. Just like he had in the past, and Abby, and so many others. She sacrificed a little to save a lot.

 

As he relayed his thoughts to Abby, and she realized the truth behind his words Marcus found himself staring up at the ceiling the question she retaliated with flashing through his mind, “After everything we’ve done, do we even deserve to survive?”

Did they? He had hoped that their coming to earth was a second chance, but perhaps it was just the universe’s way of seeking vengeance on him for all his wrong doings in space. It would be the perfect example of poetic justice. He would have hope blooming in his heart once more after so many years, he would see all the potential for the future, he would realize that he loved a wonderful woman and after all that he would die in a tunnel because a kid learned to be as ruthless as every other person in her life. If he wasn’t so tired he would laugh at the irony of it. Instead that evil voice of fear that had mocked him since he was 7 pushed back through his mind and he gave himself up to it.

 

It was that voice that filled his head as he slowly closed his eyes and waited for death.

 

It was that voice that suddenly vanished when he felt more dust and rocks fall against his face, and an even more pressing wait on his chest. He opened his eyes in confusion as he heard Octavia call down that help was coming, and then he looked up to find that Abby was hovering over him. How had she gotten over here? He could barely think with her so close and smiling.

 

“We are going to be okay. “

 

And just like that this amazing woman had chased away his fear, and gave him a reason to smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus thought he knew fear, but it was nothing compared to this.

It had been the most hellish day of Marcus’ life, and that was saying something. Three days ago he would’ve thought the worst thing that could ever befall him (after the death of his parents) was being trapped under the rubble of a metro station with the risk of bleeding out. Now as he stood chained to a wall watching as Wick screamed for mercy, and Raven was forcibly strapped to a table to have her bone marrow removed, he realized that the Tondc missile was child’s play.

 

That morning he had woken in the medical tent Jackson and Abby had set up in the destroyed grounder city, and found Abby giving parting instructions to her young assistant. It took Marcus a moment to understand what was happening before he jumped out of his cot to gather his things. The pain in his leg was indescribable, and he almost collapsed to the floor but he pushed through it because there was no way he was letting Abby leave the camp without him. Especially if she was going to be heading into warring territories like he suspected she was planning.

 

As he shrugged on his leather coat the stubborn woman looked up and went pale which made Marcus smirk. So she was planning on sneaking out and had been totally busted. He would shake her if he wasn’t so relieved it hadn’t gone as she planned. His relief was short lived when she stormed up to him and began to guide him back to his cot.

 

“Marcus Kane I just spent 5 hours stitching your damn artery back together so you wouldn’t die. Don’t make me kill you after I spent so much time saving you.”

 

He almost laid back down out of guilt, but then remembered the whole reason he got up in the first place and stood up straighter.

 

“Abigail Griffin,” he started, mocking her authoritative tone, “I am not about to let you walk into a war zone without me. So either you stay here, or you help me get ready for travel. “

 

For the next few seconds they stared each other down before Abby stepped back nodding. “Fine, but sit down so I can change your dressings.”

Marcus smiled at his victory and allowed her to do what was necessary, only barely wincing when she injected him with an antibiotic. For once in his life Abby wasn’t making his every decision difficult and he was going to bask in the moment.

 

The happiness of winning their fight only lasted three hours, for as they neared the outskirts of Mount Weather their party was ambushed. His men were able to take down four of the Mountain Men, while Marcus shoved Abby to the ground, and shielded her from any stray bullets.

 

Why had he allowed this at all?

 

For just a moment he thought they had won the ambush, but out of nowhere one of the Mountain Men threw a smoke bomb that had them all gasping and choking for breath and they were doomed.

 

Now he found himself chained to a wall in the damn mountain, the woman he was always failing to protect next to him. Abby was paler than he had ever seen her, her eyes wide and solely focused on Raven as the poor girl fought valiantly against the guards trying to force her down. Marcus would’ve screamed triumphantly when the feisty mechanic bit one of the guard’s faces if he wasn’t so terrified of the situation. Raven’s fight didn’t last long as one guard hit her into submission and another finally managed to get her fully strapped down.

 

Marcus turned his gaze back to Abby who was now trembling and he longed to reach out and hold her hand. Raven had risked her life to get to earth to prove the 100 were alive, and he knew that because of that Abby had a special place in her heart for the girl. To watch her get tortured at the hands of this monster might just be the thing that makes Abby snap.

 

“Hey Abby,” he whispered, raising his voice a little when she continued to focus on the table, “Abby, look at me. Don’t look at the table, look at me.”

 

He got her focus for a second before the drill started up and Raven’s screams filled the room. As Abby’s eyes snapped back to the table Marcus cursed internally before trying once more, “Abby, do not look over there! Look at me! Abby!”

 

Her eyes returned to his once more, and he tried to smile but could only manage a grimace as Raven screamed again.

 

“Good girl Abby. No matter what happens, look at me okay. Do not take your eyes off of me.”

 

She nodded, doing what she was told, and Marcus tried once again to smile reassuringly.

 

For what seemed like hours (but was only a few minutes) he stood against that wall trying to ignore Raven’s screams as he kept Abby’s focus with soft words of comfort. He promised her a million times that all would be fine, that Clarke and Bellamy would help them, and even though he could tell she didn’t fully believe him, Abby kept her eyes focused on his.

 

Marcus was tempted to tell her in that moment that he loved her, but stopped himself. If he said it then it would seem like he was giving up, and he could not allow that. She needed him to be strong in this moment, and he would do just that.

 

They were drawn from their focus on one another when Cage suddenly entered the room and ordered the drilling to stop. As Marcus eyed him his gut filled with dread. The man had looked crazed before, but now it was mixed with a sorrow that seemed to fuel his agitation. Around him the other’s chained up began to whimper as his eyes roamed over them, and then they rested on Abby. In that moment Marcus feared the world was officially going to end.

 

“Take her off the table,” the demented man ordered, gesturing to Raven who lay whimpering in her own blood, “and put her on it.” When Cage gestured at Abby, Marcus howled in rage pulling with all his might against the handcuffs that held him.

 

As Abby struggled against the guards that released her and dragged her to the table Marcus began to plead with the man giving orders. He tried everything in his arsenal, even promising that they would donate the marrow willingly. The whole time he begged for her life, his eyes kept flashing to Abby who had gone limp with defeat, her own eyes staring at his in silent acceptance. The fear for her was more overwhelming than anything he ever felt, and he focused back on Cage, begging and pleading with everything he had. Only to be denied. The sick bastard just nodded at the man with the drill, and walked out leaving Marcus to watch as Abby went from silent and still, to screaming and writhing under the marrow sucking drill.

 

Marcus could barely keep on his feet, and if it weren’t for the handcuffs he would’ve fallen to the floor in a broken heap. Tears filled his eyes, and sobs nearly choked him as she screamed louder and louder her whole back arching. This wasn’t right. She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve anything that had happened to her. The death of her father and Jake, sending Clarke to earth, having to deal with said daughter’s anger, and now this inhumane torture at the hands of complete maniacs. It wasn’t fair. She was going to die and he could do nothing to stop it.

 

He almost looked away, too afraid to watch the life get sucked from this amazing woman, too afraid to face his failure in protecting her, but he stopped himself. He would not take his eyes off her for a second, despite the pain it caused him. It was nothing compared to what she was experiencing, and the least he could give her was not being alone in this moment. Even if she didn’t realize she had his full attention, she would not be alone.

 

He was vaguely aware of Jasper being led into the room, and shoved against the wall. He knew Cage was back too, and taunting the boy. He could hear the other prisoners begging for mercy, and crying as they waited for their own torture to come. All of this was like vague shadows in his peripheral. All that really mattered to him was the woman whose screams were becoming hoarser, and whose body was writhing less and less.

 

He was about to lose her, and he could only hope that he would be next because he was too afraid to live in a world where she no longer existed. He was much too dependent on her for that.

 

Then just as he started to watch for that moment when she would officially give up, the drilling stopped. It took him a second to realize what was happening, but as he tore his eyes away from Abby’s sweating and pained face he gasped in horror at the sight of the guards. They were all gripping at their necks as they tried to pull air into their lungs, and slowly a radiation burn began to form over their faces and hands. Then as quickly as their pain began it ended and they fell to the floor.

 

They were dead. And if he guessed correctly, so was everyone else who had yet to receive a bone marrow treatment. He took a moment to focus on the implications of that before a pain filled moan from Abby had him looking back at her. He met her eyes as she stared at him with more fear than he had ever seen on her face and he turned to Jasper to ask him to un-cuff him, cursing as the boy ran from the room.

 

Moments later, to his great relief, Octavia burst in and immediately ran to him, releasing him from the chains. Finally free, Marcus ignored the insistent throbbing in his thigh and ran towards the table in the center of the room. He couldn’t help but run his hands along Abby’s face, letting out a sob of relief to see her eyes open and focused on him.

 

He whispered assurances to her, and slowly unstrapped her.

 

“Marcus, I was so scared. I-”

 

He cut her off with a gentle shush and a kiss to the forehead that surprised them both.

 

“I know you were scared sweetheart, but it’s over now. Somehow we were saved. Now we need to get you out of here so we can fix you up. It looks like both of us will be limping for a while. “

 

She gave him a faint smile, and nodded as he slowly helped her sit up on the table, supporting her injured leg as she turned to face him. They were both aware that something had shifted between them in that moment and Marcus wondered if now was the time to tell her he loved her. She looked like she about to say something too when Clarke entered and he gladly took a step back to make room for her.

 

He and Abby would have plenty of time to talk later; he had the universe and Clarke to thank for that. For now he would let her bask in her child’s safety while he worked on getting his people home.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once fear has no power over Marcus.

It had been a long day of running drills that left Marcus feeling sore and exhausted. He was getting too old for this, and a part of him wondered how much longer he could keep up with the younger soldier he was training. For someone barely 40 he felt like the past year had really taken its toll on him. Groaning he entered his tent, and eased down onto the cot that took up a good portion of it. He rubbed his right thigh gently trying to soothe the pain that radiated from the mostly healed wound he had received in Tondc. Most days it barely bothered him, but one of the recruits had kicked his leg out from under him while sparring earlier, and he was going to have to pay the price.

 

“I could give you a shot for the pain you know?”

 

Tucking his chin into his chest trying to fight the smile that tugged at his lips, Marcus let his eyes drift up to Abby who was suddenly standing in front of him with a smirk of her own. She had always had a knack for sneaking up on him, now more than ever.

 

“I don’t think that is necessary. It will feel better after I rest it some.”

 

She smiled knowingly and eased herself onto his good leg, her head finding its favorite spot on his shoulder. Marcus shivered as her nose nuzzled into his neck, and his arms went to gather her close.

 

“You can just admit you are afraid of needles. I won’t tell anyone. Not even Clarke. “

 

Marcus smiled at the thought of Abby’s daughter who had returned to camp a week ago, bringing so much joy to his love’s life. He was afraid when the girl first appeared that there would still be struggles between the two Griffin women, but was happy to see that Clarke had finally accepted to circumstances of Jake’s death and their relationship was on the path towards a healthy recovery.

 

“Where is your daughter this evening? “

 

“She is with the rest of the 100 celebrating Octavia’s birthday,” Abby poked his ribs gently causing him to squirm in her embrace, “and stop avoiding the subject.”

 

 

Marcus smiled and kissed her head, “I am _not_ afraid of needles.”

 

“Marcus, you forget that I have known you for almost 30 years. I know that you are lying.”

 

He almost denied it again, but decided there was no point. Instead he gave her a halfhearted shrug and a knowing look, “I am not the only one. I believe you had a fear of needles at one point too.”

 

She was quiet for a moment, looking up into his eyes with a sheepish expression as if she was holding in a secret too big to handle.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Marcus, sweetie, I love you but sometimes you don’t use that brain of yours.”

 

At his confused look she rolled her eyes, as her hand came up to brush the hair from his forhead, “I was the daughter of the Ark’s head doctor. I spent more time in the medical bay than anywhere else. Do you honestly think needles bothered me?”

 

Frowning, Marcus shook his head, “But the vaccines?”

 

“I knew you were scared. I also remembered being rushed out of the medical bay when your father started to code, and my father’s anger at that idiot medical tech. I understood your fears, but I also knew you needed those shots. So I pretended to be scared so you wouldn’t feel so alone.”

 

For a minute Marcus just stared at her, his mind completely blown by this realization. After a few seconds Abby began to squirm nervously, looking up at him with trepidation, “Are you mad?”

 

Marcus snapped back to attention at her question, shaking his head, “Mad? No. I-” he paused looking for the right words, “I am just thinking back on everything from that moment, and realizing how you have always been the one to ease my fears. You’re like a human version of anti-anxiety medication.”

 

Abby snorted and shoved his shoulder playfully, “And you are a major dork.”

 

“Oh, am I?” Marcus pulled her closer to his chest, his hands skimming across her ribs causing her to writhe in a fit of giggles.

 

“Marcus stop!”

 

He smiled at her as he tickled her harder, “Not until you take back that dork statement.”

 

“Never,” she gasped trying to catch her breath, “you are the king of the dorks!”

“I prefer chancellor.”

 

“Too bad the title is taken.”

 

He laughed at her retort, his hands finding her most ticklish places, “Surrender Abby, you are no match for me!”

 

She smirked evilly, her hand managing to find its way to the front of his jeans, “Oh really?”

 

Marcus froze, biting back the groan in his throat as her hand gripped him, “You are not playing fair tonight.”

 

Abby laughed deep in her throat, and shifted her hand causing Marcus to close his eyes and tip his head back.

 

“All is fair in love and war,” she whispered, shoving him back on the cot so she could straddle his waist.

 

Marcus smiled up at her taking in the beautiful site of her hovering inches above his face, her long hair falling around her shoulders and skimming against his cheeks. She seemed to be studying him as well, her dark eyes skimming over his entire face.

 

“Everything okay?” He thrust up against her, trying to pull her attention back to the matter at hand.

 

“Yes, I am just wondering how you are going to convince your kid not to be afraid of needles, when you are so terrified of them.”

 

“Well that’s simple, I will just let their mother deal with-” Marcus froze, as the full implication of her statement washed over him. “My…¦my kid?”

 

Above him, Abby’s eyes were shining, her teeth chewing at her bottom lip in a nervous habit. At his question, she nodded her head, “I just found out this morning. I would’ve told you sooner, but I had to wrap my mind around it myself.”

 

Marcus gaped up at her, his mind reeling. He had given up on the potential of fatherhood years ago. Callie had wanted a kid, but he didn’t want to deal with that on top of all the other problems on the Ark.

 

Besides, even if he didn’t realize it then, a part of him could only ever really want a kid with one person.

 

The person who was currently straddling him, her eyes going from joyful to a bit angry and scared, “Marcus Kane I need you to say something, because you are really freaking me out right now.”

 

Snapping back to attention, Marcus met her eyes again before tugging her down to capture her lips against his. They lay there for a few moments, basking in each other’s embrace before he pulled back to beam up at her.

 

“I take it your happy then?”

 

He smiled at her question, nodding vigorously, “Over the moon sweetheart.”

 

His eyes drifted down her body to rest on her stomach, his hand coming up to rest on it reverently, “Over the moon.”

 

He knew a part of him should be scared of this new development. He and Abby were not spring chickens anymore after all. While he had no doubt she would handle pregnancy and a new child beautifully, he couldn’t help but wonder if the older they got, the harder it would be. On top of that things were still very tentative here on the ground. There was peace with most of the grounder tribes, but there were still a few they had to watch out for. They still were not sure what could set those tribes off, so negotiations with them were tentative at best. Was it safe to bring a baby into that?

 

Still, despite all that could go wrong, Marcus found he didn’t really fear any of it. How could he when he had Abigail Griffin by his side?

 


End file.
